At The Canal
by Broadwaylover5300
Summary: Amber/Shelley. Amber and Shelley enjoy a secret night of passion out at the canal.


**Hi! This is just a little something that I wrote while I was thinking about the other two stories that I'm writing!**

**I don't own Hairspray or any of the characters, or the song whose lyrics start off this story.**

* * *

_The lonely night discloses just a passing breeze _

_Filled with memories_

_Of the golden smile that introduced me to_

_The days of wine and roses and you_

-"Days of Wine and Roses," Henry Mancini

* * *

Amber walked to her window and stared outside. Outside, the city of Baltimore stood, a shining diamond in the moonlight, strings of white and red cars crusing down the roads, neon lights flashing on and off, casting dim glows across Amber's bedroom. She watched as faceless people shuffled down the sidewalks, passing the lampposts, the dim yellow glow from the lights casting strange shadows across their faces as they slowly walked the trash cans lining the curbs, walking off into a mass of light and sound that extended as far as the eye could see. Amber stood there at her window, looking out at the vast urban sprawl that stood outside, before she went downstairs.

Amber picked the keys to the new Ford Thunderbird Velma had bought her and walked out to the curb in front of her house where the car stood, its red paint glowing in the beam cast by the lamppost that stood nearby. She gently opened the driver's side-door and slid into the soft, white leather seat. She stuck the key in the ignition and turned. The engine roared on, then started humming softly as Amber pressed gently on the accelerator and sped off down the streets.

Amber drove through downtown, past the part of the city that never slept, heading for the small, quiet neighborhoods that stood at the other side of town. This was something that she had been waiting for all day, something that had kept her going throughout the long slog that the school day always was, past the shooting of the show, past the ranting and raving of her mother once they had returned home, past the barely-cooked chicken that Velma had made. This was the night that they had decided on. This was the night that they had decided would be the beginning of their lives together. This was the night that Amber and Shelley had decided to go out to the canal together.

It bothered Amber that she and Shelley had to do this in secret, to have to sneak out in the middle of the night as if they were a couple of criminals, as if they were about to do something that was the equivalent of robbing a bank or murdering somebody. It went against everything in Amber's nature. It was Amber's nature to be very upfront, to be very blunt when she wanted something, to be very clear and firm when she was saying something, not to beat around the bush, but just to get it all out there. It was a trait that she had inherited from Velma, a person who was very upfront about everything. However, Amber knew that there was a time to get it all out there, and there was a time to not. Amber knew that if she came out and said how she felt about Shelley, talked about the warm feeling that she got every time Shelley looked at her, even if it was a glare, said a word about the wave of euphoria that came over her every time Shelley touched her, even if it was to be shoved, Amber knew that she would be booted off the show by her mother and thrown out of her home into the streets, left to fend for herself. Amber knew that she wasn't ready to do that yet, but she also knew that she had to see Shelley besides when she saw her on the show, so this was the only alternative.

Amber pulled up in front of the small suburban house. All of the windows were dark. The only sound was the sound of crickets chirping. Amber slowly crept up the sidewalk leading to the front door and knocked softly on it. The door flew open, revealing Shelley on the other side.

"Quiet!" Shelley whispered as she ran outside. "My parents are still awake upstairs!"

Amber quietly closed the door, and she and Shelley quickly and quietly ran down the sidewalk, leapt into Amber's car, and drove off.

xxx

Amber and Shelley were silent as they drove out of town, past the oil refineries and factories that stood on the outskirts of town, past the few houses that stood outside the factories. When they got to the old barn at the crossroads, Amber turned right. They drove through the trees and shrubs, making their way down the poorly maintained road toward the canal.

When they eventually got to the canal, Amber pulled into a clearing, turned off the lights, and stopped the car. The engine fell silent. The only sound that could be heard was the crickets chirping softly. A cool breeze blew softly through the leaves of the trees and through Amber and Shelley's hair as it blew out over the canal. The water in the canal rippled lightly in the breeze. The moonlight reflected off the water.

Shelley looked over at Amber. "Well?" she said sharply. "Did we just come out here to sit?"

Amber looked at Shelley. "You can start whenever you want," she replied.

Shelley nodded and slid over toward Amber. Her arms wrapped around Amber's torso and made their way up past the fabric of her dress to her bare skin. Shelley gently rubbed Amber's skin, working it softly in her fingers, moving it back and forth in her palms.

Amber sighed softly, enjoying the feeling that Shelley's hands against her back gave her. She wrapped her hands around Shelley's body, feeling her form, feeling her curves, the silkiness of her skin as she worked her hands to her back. Amber kissed Shelley on the lips, tasting her lipstick, letting the warm feeling of euphoria rush over her.

They spent the rest of the night that way.


End file.
